Boult in top form

Trent Boult was destined to be an international cricketer from a young age.

He made national headlines while still at Otumoetai College, winning a schoolboy fast bowling competition at the age of 17. He was clocked at 130kph and has not slowed down since.

His ability to swing the ball at pace as a left-armer is a rare thing. Add to that some fortunate genetics, superior fitness and determination, and you have the ideal basis to be a quick bowler.

Some of his greatest performances have come at Hamilton’s Seddon Park, where the intense humidity and baking hot sun make it a swing bowler’s nirvana.

Last week, in the fourth One Day International, he dismantled an impressive Indian battling line-up with match-winning figures of 5-21. What made it even more remarkable was it came from a 10-over spell bowled without a break – testament indeed to Boult’s dedicated fitness regime.

Almost two years to the day Boult ripped through the Australians in Hamilton, taking 6-33 as the Black Caps clinched a 2-0 series victory.

In December 2017 he took his 200th Test wicket in his 52nd Test to become just the fifth left-arm pace bowler in the game’s history to take 200 or more Test wickets.

Those ahead of him are true legends of the game in Wasim Akram (414 wickets), Chaminda Vaas (355), Mitchell Johnson (313) and Zaheer Khan (311).

Boult grew up quickly as a cricketer, playing Baywide Premier grade for Otumoetai Cadets from his early teens.

He joined his older brother Jono Boult at the club and quickly made dramatic progress. He made the New Zealand Under-19 team with Kane Williamson, who he had plenty of practice bowling to in club cricket and had played against since their intermediate days.

Club president Campbell Wilson says Boult is a pretty special player for the club.

“He is definitely Cadets through and through,” says Campbell. “Any chance he gets to be able to play for Cadets he certainly does that. Every time he walks through the gate it lifts the club, and he is a hell of a good man to have around.”

But despite all of the success, the accolades and the riches that have come his way, nothing has changed about Boult.

He is still as personable, polite and approachable as ever – just the way Kiwis like their sporting stars to be.